Acidalia Planitia is a plain on Mars, between the Tharsis volcanic province and Arabia Terra to the north of Valles Marineris, centered at 49°48′N 339°18′E / 49.8°N 339.3°E / 49.8; 339.3.

[5] The Vastitas Borealis Formation (VBF) stretched across both Utopia and Acidalia Planitiae and delineated the threshold for an ancient ocean.

The two segments of the VBF at Utopia and Acidalia have congruent ages, reliefs, crater frequencies, albedos, thermal properties, and superpositions of geological features.

The two theories indicate either biased glacial deposition during the Amazonian era or long-term creep of hundreds of meters of ice-rich regolith beneath the surface, respectively.

[6] Martian gullies are small, incised networks of narrow channels and their associated downslope sediment deposits, found on the planet of Mars.

[8] Mud volcanoes erupt sediments from deep beneath the surface and change the rising rocks very minimally.

These rocks are used to analyze organic matter as mud volcanoes also create subterranean conduits for ancient ground water that may have hosted microbiota.

[8] In the 2011 novel The Martian by Andy Weir, and its 2015 film adaptation, Acidalia Planitia is the landing site of the Ares III mission, where the protagonist is stranded following a dust storm.